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Dwarf Gourami help

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I bought my Dwarf Gourami a couple of months ago, and recently I noticed a lump between his modified pelvic fins. (I have attached a photo) He eats, but stays usually at the bottom of the tank the entire day, while the other fish swim around. I already did a 4-day treatment for bacteria and also used Prima Fix to no avail. Do you guys have any other suggestions or options? Is it really a bacterial infection or something else entirely? Thanks in advance!photo.jpg

That information can often help to make recommendations in these types of situtations

I also removed your other two threads that were identical to this one.

If you take your time to do the research FIRST, you can successfully set-up and keep ANY type of aquarium with ease."Not using a quarantine tank is like playing Russian roulette. Nobody wins the game, some people just get to play longer than others." - Anthony CalfoFishless CycleCycling with FishMarine Aquarium Info [URL="http://saltwater.aquaticcommunity.com/"]

I have 4 Neon Tetras, 1 Mickey Mouse Platy, 1 Dwarf Gourami and 1 Opaline Gourami. I've had the tank for almost a year so I thought the tank should be cycled? However, once a month I clean everything in the tank including the filter and sand and I also empty the tank entirely, so it's all new water. Maybe that's the problem? I'm a complete newbie at this so if you can help me out it will be sooooo appreciated because I have a lot of questions.

The tank is a 6 gallon Fluval Edge. The filter has 3 components: the foam at the bottom, then the carbon, and then the biomax at the top. When I clean the filter, I take the cartridge where the three components are and throw away the carbon and replace it as well as the foam. (However, a week ago I replaced the carbon with a Purigen 100mL bag, since I had tannins in the tank because of 2 mopanis I introduced to the tank). The biomax I rinse in the sink. If the cartridge and the intake get too dirty, I rinse them in the sink as well with a bit of tylex and then I dechlorinate them (I do the same with the decorations). The sand I just rinse as well with tap water. I didn't know I should be using tank water to clean the filter's components, so thanks for letting me know. I'll do that from now on.

Six gallons isn't big enough for an Opaline OR Dwarf Gourami, let alone both. I would imagine by now the Opaline is permanently stunted, and it explains the unhealthy shape the Dwarf has taken, though not the frontal bump between pelvic fins. A healthy Dwarf has a much fuller body shape. The bottom fin looks sunken into the deformed body slightly because it is not healthy. There is a tear or possible bite-mark at the end of it's tail. Additionally they are both territorial species and should not be housed together without many hiding places and and many more gallons.

When you remove and clean the entire tank and replace with entirely new water you're restarting your cycle every time.

Especially with so many other fish in the tank I suggest either re-homing them, or buying a MUCH larger tank. Minimum I'd suggest is honestly a 36 gallon. If you want to keep the current six gallon there are Nano tank fish and creatures which we can help you pick out. Treat the unhealthy habitat before the unhealthy fish. Sometimes it's all that's wrong.

A severe lack of trichogaster.

Just because your Gourami is sick does not mean it is always Iridovirus, DGIV, Gourami Disease, et cetera.
Look at all the other factors in your tank before coming to this conclusion.

Most has been covered except for one issue - do not medicate fish just because they are not acting as you think they should. As the case, the poor fish was traped in a tiny tank in an overcoward tank. Throwing meds at fish is a all too common pratice that most EXPERTS wholely support and do or tell people to do (I've given up on a discus forum because that is what they all stupidly do/say/support); even for people this is too often done, and the results is mostly harm for little good and a lot of wasted money.

If you can't rehome the fish, do a lot of water changes (bi-weekly, 3-4 gal but track pH! If tap/tank differ by more than 0.2 on the scale, repost here and ask for advice before doing large water changes.) LEAVE the filter ALONE! (when very dirty, rinse out some of the debris using old tank water.) You are causing the filter to lose its critical bacteria if you replace the media!

Knowledge is fun(damental)

A 75 gal with eight Discus, fake plants, and a lot of wood also with sand substrate. Clean up crew is down to just two Sterba's Corys. Filters: continuous new water flow; canister w/UV, in-tank algae scrubber!! Finally, junked the nitrate removal unit from hell.